Paving project to affect Turnpike traffic

Night work could close two lanes between E. Topeka, Lecompton

Travelers on the Kansas Turnpike between East Topeka and the Lecompton/Lawrence exit — the most heavily traveled stretch of the turnpike, officials say — may encounter nightly delays during much of May.

An overlay paving project between mile markers 183 (East Topeka exit) and 198 will begin Monday and eventually affect all six lanes of the 15-mile stretch of road.

A Kansas Turnpike Authority spokesman said two of the three lanes in each direction were expected to remain open during daytime hours, but traffic flow would be reduced to one lane in each direction when night work begins from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Lane closings will vary throughout the project, which is expected to last through much of May. Motorists are asked to slow down, watch out for workers, and be alert for possible backups and changing traffic patterns throughout the work zone.

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Ain't that the truth. After the heavy rain we had, 29th street between Fairlawn and Wanamaker look like Minnesota and the land of 10,000 lakes. If you were not a regular traveler down Topeka's version of the Oregon Trail known for its ruts, you were in trouble as all pot holes were filled with water.

Glad that others are still noticing the streets. No one on the Topeka City Council notices or cares.
If we want improvement of the city streets, we need a "Street Commissioner". Even the City Manager, with all his "Assistants", can't keep their eye(s) on the ball.

....won't be fixed because it isn't a Quality of Life issue. Won't need streets when we are all peddling around on millions of dollars of bike trails to see the zoo projects and downtown projects and riverfront projects and Expocentre projects which are all more important than infrastructure.

There will be backups on the turnpike because traffic is still very heavy between Topeka and Lecompton after 6pm. And drivers will pass everybody at 80+ to run to the front and cut in at the last second causing everyone else to brake. But that is OK, because KTA will say they intend traffic to flow that way.

Is they block off streets in town - put up Street Closed barricades then don't touch anything for weeks. Dang it! Don't close the street until you are ready to work on it and then do so - get it done, take down the barricades and move on to the next project.